Microsoft Silicon, Cloud Hardware, and Infrastructure Engineering (SCHIE) is the team behind Microsoft’s expanding Cloud Infrastructure and responsible for powering Microsoft’s “Intelligent Cloud” mission. SCHIE delivers the core infrastructure and foundational technologies for Microsoft's over 200 online businesses including Bing, MSN, Office 365, Xbox Live, Teams, OneDrive, and the Microsoft Azure platform globally with our server and data center infrastructure, security and compliance, operations, globalization, and manageability solutions. Our focus is on smart growth, high efficiency, and delivering a trusted experience to customers and partners worldwide and we are looking for passionate, high-energy engineers to help achieve that mission.

The Data Processing Unit (DPU) team brings together state-of-the-art software and hardware expertise to create a highly programmable and high-performance ASIC with the capability to efficiently handle large data streams. Thanks to its integrated design, this solution empowers teams to operate with increased agility and deliver significantly superior performance compared to CPU-based alternatives.

We are seeking a Principal Software Engineer to lead our DPU Runtime (OS) Driver team in building next‑generation, high‑performance, scalable, and programmable DPU software focused on Control Plane device drivers and advanced user‑space tooling. You will define architecture, set technical direction, and drive execution across teams to deliver robust Linux driver frameworks and host integration. Leveraging deep expertise in operating systems, kernel/user‑space interfaces, and performance optimization, you will influence Azure’s infrastructure roadmap and ensure our PCIe adapter solutions meet the highest standards of reliability, security, and scale.

· Define architecture and long‑term roadmap for Linux/Windows Control Plane driver frameworks and interfaces.

· Lead development and hardening of host‑side Control Plane drivers and advanced user‑space tools.

· Own critical device‑side components in FunOS, ensuring scalable, reliable kernel/user‑space integration.

· Set engineering standards and mentor seniors, driving design reviews and cross‑team technical decisions

Required Qualifications:

Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science or related technical field AND 6+ years technical engineering experience with coding in languages including, but not limited to, C, C++, C#, Java, JavaScript, or Python OR equivalent experience.

Other Requirements:

Ability to meet Microsoft, customer and/or government security screening requirements are required for this role. These requirements include but are not limited to the following specialized security screenings: Microsoft Cloud Background Check: This position will be required to pass the Microsoft Cloud Background Check upon hire/transfer and every two years thereafter.

Additional or preferred qualifications:

• 8+ years of C/C++ programming experience with a focus on performance and scalability.
• 8+ years in Embedded and/or OS Kernel development, including architecture and integration.
• Extensive experience designing and shipping complex device drivers (Linux or Windows) at scale.
• Proven ability to define architecture and lead cross‑team execution for driver frameworks.
• Experience with Rust for systems programming and safety‑critical components.
• Deep knowledge of Linux/Windows internals, configuration, and deployment at scale.
• Expertise in ARM architecture and PCIe driver/firmware development, including performance tuning

Software Engineering IC5 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $139,900 - $274,800 per year. There is a different range applicable to specific work locations, within the San Francisco Bay area and New York City metropolitan area, and the base pay range for this role in those locations is USD $188,000 - $304,200 per year.

Certain roles may be eligible for benefits and other compensation. Find additional benefits and pay information here:
https://careers.microsoft.com/us/en/us-corporate-pay

This position will be open for a minimum of 5 days, with applications accepted on an ongoing basis until the position is filled.

Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, citizenship, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, immigration status, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran or military status, race, ethnicity, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable local laws, regulations and ordinances. If you need assistance with religious accommodations and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application process, read more about requesting accommodations.